Honest question: How RW is Wayne Newton?

[zbdent]

I just returned from a trip to Lost Wages. Love that city.

Mother-in-law (whom I dearly love, and generally agrees with me politically; not always) wanted to see Wayne Newton's show, and I thought, "What the hell, you only go 'round once."

Show was pretty good, except for a few points:

Someone in the crowd can't wait for his own personal orgasm. Yells out "Do the one about the three surgeons!". WN says "Not sure what you're talking about, but enjoy the show!". (This guy either gets around, or there's one planted in the audience at every show; Saw Second City in Flamingo the next night; at an improv bit for a "strange relationship", some guy in the audience was wayyyy to quick to insert "Barbara Streisand and Satan" - a RW standard). Later in the show, one of the band member starts into an "impromptu"(/staged) rift, and starts the "three surgeons" joke. I lean over to my mother-in-law and say "I know this one . . . the third surgeon says 'In Texas, we had a guy who was born without a brain, and now he's the POTUS!'". In this case, though, the band member does the punchline: "We had a guy who was riding his horse and got hit by a train. All we could save was the horse's butt and his mouth, and now he's running as the Democratic candidate for President!'

Before this, WN may have tested the waters. In introducing one member of the band (not the above), he said "Does he look familiar? Like somebody you should know? Maybe one of the Baldwin Brothers. But a Republican one, who can stay in the country." Tepid response of a few laughs, and mild, lightly scattered applause. Not very rousing, if the audience is RW.

WN points out at the end of the show that he has done several USO/whatever shows. Somewhere in the double digits, in the last few years. No problem there, even Al Franken did longer appearances in the current conflicts than W (and without secret service covering him). Does the "veterans stand up", "God Bless America", and breaking out the "Red White and Blue" huge flag in the background.

How bad is WN? THANK GOD HE DIDN'T MENTION RONALD REAGAN!!! But somebody here said that WN was at the ascension ceremony of Saint Ron today.

Generally, I thought he put on a good show (for some reason, the sound system didn't pick up his voice well during the songs). My mother-in-law loved it. Mrs. ZBDent liked it, but not as much as MIL.

I found it ironic, though, that, after all the veiled and not-so-indirect hits on Kerry, WN said "Aren't you tired of all the politics going on by now?" Wilder applause than anybody who understood the Baldwin brothers reference.

[Lorien]

1. My cousin is a good friend of Wayne Newtons

She's an elected official (a liberal democrat) and a film producer. Wayne knows her politics, and has mentioned to her that he's a registered Republican, but other than that they try to never discuss politics. She says she gets the feeling that he's WAY to the right of her positions, so she feels that it's safer not to bring anything up (he respects her a lot and apparently feels the same way). Aside from his politics, he's not a bad guy. He gives to a wide range of charities, and he even offered to give me a ride on his private plane once so my cousin and i could spend some time together (I was committed to other things at the time, so I couldn't take him up on it). Maybe he's just one of those kneejerk repugs who don't know why they side with the right wing?

:shrug:

[zbdent]

2. I have no doubt that he's a nice guy

So's my co-worker.

But just make one off-hand observation about a W failing, and he starts jerking your chain.

Sad that he's a union member. Why doesn't he see that he's backing the same guy who's trying to get the US workforce to be begging for scraps and have to low-bid for every possible job about the same level as boot-licker?

[Lorien]

3. That's why I think he's one of those kneejerks

I have a number of friends and co-workers that are liberal in all their beliefs, but they always vote GOP. They claim to hate liberals because liberals "just want to take my money, want to hold the hands of the terrorists and sing "Kumbya" to them, don't want to work and are always looking for a handout..." basically, they've bought into a load of hate radio crap that has nothing to do with reality. Or they think that because their parents voted repug, they have to do the same. Bush*=good, Dems=bad-that's all they know. I get the feeling Wayne is the same way; I doubt if he's very well educated on the issues. A lot of people in the entertainment industry know nothing about current events.